The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of Honduras.

The Honduran Congress is a unicameral legislature. Its members are 128 deputies (diputados), who are elected on a proportional representation basis, by department, to serve four-year terms. Prior to 1997, deputies were elected indirectly, with congressional party strengths determined by the proportion of votes cast for the corresponding candidates in the concurrent presidential election. Since that date, however, separate elections have been held for the legislature and for national and local executives, and the country's deputies have been elected directly.

The most recent election was held on 25 November 2001. Following that election (which saw Ricardo Maduro elected president), party strengths in Congress stood as follows:

• National Party (PN): 61
• Liberal Party (PL): 55
• Democratic Unification Party (PUD): 5
• Christian Democratic Party (PDC): 4
• National Innovation and Unity Party - Social Democratic Party (PINU-SD):3

The next election is scheduled to take place in November 2005.

Honduras also returns deputies to the supranational Central American Parliament.

Legislative Palace

Congress meets in a purpose-built legislative palace (Palacio Legislativo) in the centre of Tegucigalpa. Of a modernist design, it is painted in an array of bright colours and rests on a series of concrete pillars that separate it from the ground.

External link

• National Congress of Honduras